Various types of clamping devices exist. Ordinarily, they include a clamping arm that is fixed to a piston rod assembly. The arm may pivot through a small angular movement from a clamped to an unclamped position. Additionally, the clamps may include fixed arms wherein the workpiece is moved in and out of the clamp head as the clamp moves between an opened and a closed position.
These clamps do not provide for an application where the clamp arm is positioned and retracted through an aperture in a fixture. These clamps do not enable the arm axis to move parallel with the piston rod axis.
The present disclosure provides a clamp that enables the clamping arm to move through an aperture in a fixture to a use position. The clamping arm is then retracted through the aperture. The clamping arm moves from a position where its longitudinal axis is parallel to the piston rod axis to a position where the axes are perpendicular to one another. The present disclosure provides a clamp that can be locked in position for an extended period of time without the use of fluid pressure. The present disclosure provides a clamp that has multiple orientations enabling it to be utilized in multiple positions.